Feature: Sean Astin campaigns for Hillary Clinton

Note: This article was originally published in Technician on April 23, 2008.

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'Samwise the Brave' visits campus

Sean Astin visited campus Tuesday in order to campaign for presidential candidate Hillary Clinton. The actor, perhaps best known as his role as Sam in the Lord of the Rings films, made N.C. State only one of his stops on a three-day trip across the state that also included presentations at Duke and UNC-Chapel Hill.

Astin opened his speech by addressing the negative image many people have of celebrities who are politically active and explaining how politics has played a role in his personal life.

"Celebrities' opinions are no more important than anybody else's opinions, but I also say they're no less important," Astin said. "I've always been very passionate about politics. I really love government. ... I'm a citizen first."

He also acknowledged that, although he supports Clinton, he has the utmost respect for John McCain and Barack Obama. He pointed out how Obama has inspired younger people and brought many new voters to the Democratic Party, and said he has committed to supporting his campaign should he end up getting the nomination.

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FeaturesAndrew JohnsonElection 2008, Hillary Clinton, Lord of the Rings, Obama, Sean AstinComment
Feature: Filmmaker screens controversial doc at NCSU

Note: The following article was originally published in Technician on April 10, 2008.

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Film screening brings award-winning director to campus

The Film Studies program sponsored a screening last Monday night of the award-winning documentary film For The Bible Tells Me So. The screening was held in cooperation with the Full Frame film festival, which concluded in Durham over the weekend.

The film follows five Christian families and how each responds to the realization that one of their children is gay. It also contains interviews with several prominent religious figures about different interpretations of biblical passages commonly used to condemn homosexuality. Director Daniel Karslake was present at the screening and described the film's examination of faith and sexuality as something he personally related to in his own spiritual life.

"It was actually my faith, ironically, that brought me out of the closet and made me really acknowledge who I was," Karslake said. "Most of the time it's the faith background of gay and lesbian kids that drives them toward suicide and suppressing it."

The audience at the screening consisted of about 70 people, some of whom were students. Afterward, the writer-director participated in a brief Q&A with the crowd.

"I think it was very well received," Karslake said. "Very few people left for the Q&A, and that's always a good sign.  Unless someone says, 'OK, last question,' people could stay forever and talk about this."

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FeaturesAndrew JohnsonBible, Christianity, Daniel Karslake, For The Bible Tells Me So, Full Frame, homosexuality, religionComment
Review: Jumper (2008)

Note: This article was originally published in Technician on February 21, 2008.

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Jumper mediocre at best

Let me start off by saying this: Jumper is a bad film. There is no denying that fact.

That said, it does have a few positive elements, and you'll be hard-pressed to find more creative action sequences.

The film's plot is fairly straightforward: David (Hayden Christensen) discovers he has the power to teleport. Unfortunately, this makes him an unwilling participant in a war between "Jumpers" (people who can teleport) and "Paladins" (people trying to kill them). He'll have to team up with another Jumper named Griffin (Jamie Bell) to take down Roland (Samuel L. Jackson), a powerful Paladin who wants nothing more than to exterminate all those who can teleport. Not to mention David's also trying to win back his high-school sweetheart, Millie (Rachel Bilson).

The biggest problem with Jumper is that it introduces many really interesting ideas, but never does anything with them.

Apparently, Paladins and Jumpers have been at war since the Middle Ages, but the details of how and why this war is playing out is left unsaid. What is Roland's connection to the government? Where did he get all these high-tech weapons? What separates him from the other Paladins?

Also, if this war is so massive and important, why is it that, over the course of the movie, we're only shown half a dozen Paladins and a grand total of three (that's right, three) Jumpers?

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ReviewsAndrew JohnsonDoug Liman, Hayden Christensen, Jamie Bell, Jumper, Rachel Bilson, Samuel L. JacksonComment
Review: Over Her Dead Body (2008)

Note: This article was originally published in Technician on January 31, 2008.

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Watch this over your dead body

Let's face it: Most movies these days are all the same. The vast majority of films are recycled formulas with a few tweaks here and there attempting to look "fresh." Thankfully, every once in a while, a film comes along that is different from the rest. A film that doesn't just entertain, but changes how you look at the world. Such gems are often described as "inspiring" or "thought-provoking" or "masterpieces."

I have witnessed the first film of 2008 that has changed how I view the world: Over Her Dead Body.

However, unlike movies that fall under the label of "masterpiece," I feel this one deserves its own special category: the anti-film. Not only does this romantic comedy fail to be either romantic or funny, it's also a perfect example of how not to make a film in almost every aspect. I did leave the theater with a renewed sense of fulfillment and appreciation for the world around me, but that's only because I couldn't believe I had managed to get through the past two hours without taking my own life.

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ReviewsAndrew JohnsonEva Longoria Parker, Jason Biggs, Lake Bell, Over Her Dead Body, Paul RuddComment
Feature: Reflections on Heath Ledger's death

Note: This article was originally published in Technician on January 23, 2008.

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Reflect on life, not on death

"I hope they finished filming The Dark Knight."

That was the first thought that entered my head last night when I heard the news that actor Heath Ledger had been found dead his in his New York apartment. I know, I know, I'm a jerk -- a guy dies and the first thing I think of is how it will affect the movie. But I'm not the only one who thought that, it seems. In fact, it seems like people everywhere care more about the circumstances and the effects of his death, rather than the simple fact that he died.

A few recent articles even have headlines like, "Ledger's autopsy inconclusive; details will take 10 days" -- as if to say, "In two weeks, we'll be back with the latest gossip and speculation!"

I guess that's to be expected in a culture where the cult of celebrity is growing larger every day. Americans are obsessed with celebrities, and I'm not sure why. Maybe it's because they represent success, and wealth -- you know, the American dream. Maybe it's just because we're jealous. Whatever the reason, you've got to wonder why people can tell you the name of Tom and Katie's kid but don't know who won the last political primary.

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ReviewsAndrew JohnsonHeath Ledger, The Dark Knight, death, obituaryComment
Review: There Will Be Blood (2007)

Note: This article was originally published in Technician on January 23, 2008.

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Anderson strikes it rich

There Will Be Blood is the latest offering from director Paul Thomas Anderson, and marks his first film since Punch-Drunk Love in 2002. Nominated for eight Academy Awards, the film was just released widely this past weekend. The word-of-mouth on the film was that it was a masterpiece; one critic even referred to it alongside The Godfather and Citizen Kane as possibly the best of all time.

I don't know if I'd go that far, but one thing is for sure: There Will Be Blood is certainly filmmaking at its finest.

Anderson, who in films like Boogie Nights and Magnolia focused on an ensemble of characters and their relationships, this time turns his lens on a single oil prospector (Daniel Day-Lewis) in the early 1900s as he attempts to find the land with the most oil that he can buy for the cheapest price. Morality is not an issue, as he has no regard for any other human life except his own -- in his own words, "I see the worst in people." He will lie, cheat and even resort to murder, all in the name of profit.

In his quest for wealth, Plainview encounters a rival in the form of Eli Sunday (Paul Dano), a religious fanatic who opposes anything that might prevent people from coming to God -- specifically, through his church. And it is in this conflict that Anderson shows how he has matured as a filmmaker, for he focuses not only on character development but also on thematic development. Though in past films he frequently focused on the relationship between parents and children (and this is still present here), he broadens his view this time to also examine the American ideology that was born in the rush for oil in the early 1900s.

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ReviewsAndrew JohnsonDaniel Day-Lewis, Daniel Plainview, Eli Sunday, Paul Dano, Paul Thomas Anderson, There Will Be BloodComment
Feature: Adam Brody on In The Land of Women

Note: This article was originally published in Technician on April 19, 2007.

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Brody takes on first leading role

Adam Brody, the actor probably best known for his role as Seth Cohen on the television series The O.C., can next be seen in the film In The Land of Women. It's a film that puts Brody in his first leading role, in company with well-known co-stars such as Meg Ryan and Kristen Stewart.

The actor said he was drawn to the film by the power of the script.

"I really loved the script. It's such a mature script," Brody said. "This is a very old-fashioned, kind of sweet story. It's a very kind of hopeful, sweet, nonviolent story which I think there's a distinct lack of if you look around at movies today."

Brody stars as Carter Webb, a television writer who goes home in an attempt to find healing after his girlfriend breaks his heart. It's a role the actor said has the potential to connect with the majority of viewers.

"I don't want to say [my character's] an average guy," Brody said. "But he's just looking for some answers and, I mean, he gets broken up with. I think everyone can relate to that."

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FeaturesAndrew JohnsonAdam Brody, In The Land of Women, Jon Kasdan, The O.C.Comment
Feature: The men behind Hot Fuzz

Note: This article was originally published in Technician on April 19, 2007.

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Pegg, Frost, Wright talk Hot Fuzz

First zombies, now cops.

Simon Pegg and Nick Frost, the comedy duo perhaps best known for their appearance in Shaun of the Dead, will light up the screen again this weekend in the buddy cop action film Hot Fuzz. In the film, Pegg stars as Nicholas Angel, a police sergeant so good at his job that his co-workers conspire to get him assigned to a quiet little town with no crime. With the help of a new witless partner (Frost), he'll have to solve a series of suspicious events that hint the town may be more than it seems.

This was a departure for Pegg, who had to play a more serious character than usual.

"It was difficult because I couldn't rely on the comic devices I could use if I was playing a more comic character. Shaun was very much closer to myself, in the sense that he was a regular guy," Pegg said.

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FeaturesAndrew JohnsonEdgar Wright, Hot Fuzz, Nick Frost, Simon PeggComment